How To — Start A WordPress Blog — Install A WordPress Plugin

Mar 10, 2018

Plugins extend the functionality of your WordPress site (just like we add new features and functions to a web browser like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox) with custom features. WordPress Plugins are independently developed by third-party developers across the world.

There are over 50,000 plugins in the official WordPress Plugin Directory and you can install any of them using the plugin browser or the installer available in your WordPress dashboard.

If you know what you want then you can use the Search to find it. Or, you can browse the Featured, Popular, Recommended, or Favorites (favorite plugins of a particular WordPress.org user) to get an idea of what’s possible.

So let’s get started!

1. WordPress Plugins

Installed Plugins shows a list of all the plugins that you have installed and it even categorizes the plugins into All, Active, Inactive, and Update Available (plugins that are not up-to-date). You can activate or deactivate an installed plugin from here. And if there is a new version of a plugin that you have already installed, then it will show an “update now” link.

Click “Add New” to install a new plugin from the official WordPress plugin directory or by manually uploading one from your computer.

2. Add New WordPress Plugin

Use the search box to find the plugin that you are looking for. Or, use the “Upload Plugin” button to manually upload and install a plugin that you have downloaded or purchased elsewhere.

3. Install A WordPress Plugin

When you find the plugin that you are looking for, click “Install Now”.

4. Installed New WordPress Plugin

When a new plugin is installed successfully, you will see the “Activate” button.